Tire cover construction



Nmn 5, 935 G. A. LYON TIRE COVER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 2, 1951 lllL.

A T TORNE V5 Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LyonIncorporated, Asbury Park,

poration of Delaware N. J., a cor- Application March 2, 1931, Serial No.519,340

7 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for covering the spare tires ofautomobiles, and more particularly to spare tire covering devices of thetype comprising an enclosing casing made of metal or other relativelystiff material.

The invention is particularly designed to be embodied in a constructionfor covering a tire supported in a well in the fender of an automobile.

Certain of the important objects of the invention are to improve theconstruction and mode of operation of devices of the above type forcovering spare tires of automobiles, and to produce a novel and improveddevice which will provide a satisfactory cover of attractive appearancefor a spare tire supported in a fender well, and which may be quicklyand easily applied to, and removed from the tire.

Another important object of the invention is to producel a novel andimproved construction for covering a tire supported in the fender wellof an automobile, which will hold the tire securely in position in thewell.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the noveland improved features, constructions and combinations of partshereinafter described and particularly pointed `out in the claims, theadvantages of which will lbe readily understood and appreciated by thoseskilled in the art. y

The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawingillustrating the invention in its preferred form and the followingdetailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation partly in section,illustrating a construction embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1; Y

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4 ofFig. 3 with certain parts shown in elevation; y

Fig. 5 is a View in side elevation partly in section, illustrating amodied construction; and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 6?-6of Fig. 5.

The invention is illustrated in this application asapplied to a tire 2engaging in a recess or well 4 in the fender 6 of an automobile. Thestructure illustrated serves the dual function of a hold-down device forholding the tire in the fender welL and a cover for the tire,

rthe axis of the tire and rim.

(Cl. 15o- 54) In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4,inclusive, the construction comprises a supporting member or carrier 8mounted for movement toward and from the fender well, and two arcuatetire cover members Hl pivotally mounted 5 on said supporting member. Asshown particularly in Fig. 2, the supporting member 8 is mounted on arod|2securedto the frame of the automobile in a position centrally of thefender Well and extending obliquely upward from the well in a 10direction substantially parallel with the central plane of the tire. Thesupporting member is provided with an opening thru which the rod passesand said member is secured on the rod by means of a nut kI4 threaded onthe rod. The l5 supporting member, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, is shapedto extend over the periphery of the tire and to project inwardly towardthe axis of the tire or the outer side thereof. A

Each of the sectionsv I0 is arcuate in form and 20 is shaped in crosssection to cover a peripheral portion of the tire and to extend over theouter side wall of the tire. Each of these sections is made ofrelatively stiff sheet material andl preferablyconsists of sheet metalshaped into the 25 desired form. Each casing section is provided with aperipheral wall shaped to extend about the peripheral portion of thetire, and with a side wall extending inwardly toward the axis of V, thetire from said peripheral wall to cover the 30 side wall of the tire.The peripheral wall or 4each section is concavo-convex in cross sectionto provide a recess to receive the peripheral portion of the tire, andthe side wall of the tire also has a concavo-convex form to extend overthe bulge 35 in the side wall of the tire. The side Wall of eachsection, as shown in the dravving,.is terminated adjacent the rim. Thesaid side wall, however, may be constructed so as to extend to;10 Eachof the cover sections I0 is pivoted to the supporting member 8 by meansof a pivot pin I6 to swing in a plane substantially parallel with thecentral plane of the tire, or upon an axis substantially parallel withthe axis of the tire. Each of these pins engages in a slot i8 in aprojection on a bracket 2d secured to the corresponding cover section,and the ends of the pins engage in suitable openings in spacedprojections 22 on the member 8 between which the projection on thebracket 20 is engaged. The slots i8 extendin a directioncircumferentially of the sections to enable a relativemovement to rtakeplace between the supporting member 8 .and the tion when the device isapplied to a tire and secured in operative position.

The sections I of the cover are arranged to project a short distanceinto the fender well when the device is applied to a tire, as clearlyshown in Fig. 1. As shown in this figure, two contact members 24 and 26are mounted in the fender well at the ends thereof for engagement withthe lower ends .fof the sections :I0 to hold said sections vand the`tire out iof contact with the wall of the well. These contact memberspreferably consist of strips of flexible yielding sheet material such asimpregnated fabric .brake llin-ing laid about the wall of the well.

In applying the combined .cover and holddown device to a tire, thesupporting member 8 and the cover sections I0 are applied to the tirebefore the tire is placed in vthe vfender well. In applying thestructure to the tire the sections IIJ are relatively expanded or movedAaway from .each other to enable the .peripheral walls of the section.to .be .passed over the periphery of the tire and when the .sectionsare in the proper .transverse position with relation to the tirerelatively contracted or brought together to engage the peripheral walls.of the Vsections with the tire tread, .the .side walls .of the sectionsengaging the side wall Aof the tire. The tire with the cover .thus.applied .thereto is then placed in position in the fender well with thelower ends of the sections I0 engaging the contact members 24 and 2.6and with the rod I2 engaging in the lopening in the .supporting member8. The nut .I4 is then threaded upon the upper end of the rod and isturned down against the supporting member, and .is thereafter given .afurther actuation to force the tire cover and tire toward the fenderwell. During this operation the lower ends of the sections .I0 areforced downwardly along the contact members .24 and 26 and thru theengagement of said .sections with the inclined portions of -said contactmembers, the sections are moved toward each other to force the same intofirm engagement with the ti-re. Thus, by the actuation of the nut thesections I0 are finally forced firmly into engagement with said contactmembers, and the lsections I0 are forced .into .engagement with the tireto hold the same securely -in position. The slots I8 enable the upperends o-f the sections I0 readily to adjust themselves to tires ofdiffer-ent outside diameters. and also enable the said ends `of the`sections to move relatively toward each other to engage said sections`firmly with the adjacent portions of the tire during the screwing downof the nut I4.

In removing the tire cover and hold-down device from a tire, the nut I4is rst unscrewed from the rod I2 and the tire with the supporting member.8 and sections 1.0 are removed from the fender well. The sections vIIIare then swung relatively away from each other to `enable them to bepassed over the tire tread .and the structure is removed from the tire.A

Y In the construction shown in Figs. and 6, the tire cover and hold-downdevice comprises tire cover sections 28 and a member 30, similar inconstruction respectively to the cover sections I0, and supportingmember 8, shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. In the construction shown inFigs. 5 .and 6, however, the cover sections 28 are not pivoted to themember 30 or otherwise attached thereto, but the adjacent ends of saidsections are merely arranged to fit within said member in the mannershown in these figures. The member 30 is provided with an opening toreceive a .in Fig. 5.

rod 32 mounted in the same manner as the rod I2, and a nut 34 isthreaded upon the upper end of the rod to actuate said member 30;otherwise the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6 has substantially the sameconstruction as the device shown 5 in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. i

In applying the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6 to a tire, the sections28 are first placed on the tire in substantially the positions shown inlthe drawing with the adjacent ends 'of said secl0 tions spaced a shortdistance apart, as shown 'Ihe tire, with the sections applied thereto,is then placed within the fender well with the lower ends of saidsections engaging the contact :members .24 and 26. The member 30 l5 isthen 'placed in `position over the periphery of .firmly into engagementwith the tire and .also

forcing the .lower ends of said sections firmly into engagement with the`contact members to hold the tire securely .in position.

The constructions shown in the drawing not only form satisfactory coversfor a tire, but 'also constitute .eicientpush-down or hold-down devicesfor holding the tire firmly -an'd securely in the fender well. In eachof the constructions shown, the tire is not only held firmly in thefender well from movement in the general `direction of the planethereof, but also is effectively held from lateral Imovement orvibration. The construction in each ycase is highly ornamental andattractive in appearance and forms an effective covering for the tiretop-protect the same from wind and dirt Iand exposure to the weather andalso from injury from accidental contacts.

It is to be understood that the invention is not .limited to theAparticular constructions and ar- 40 rangements of parts of theillustrated embodiments of the invention, but that the invention may beembodied mother forms within the 'scope of the claims.

.Having explained the nature and object of the t5 invention, and hav-ingspecifically described a `construction embodying the invention in itspreferred form, what is claimed is:

Acarried by said member for engagingA theV adjacent ends of said coversections and moving the same with said member.

2. In combination with an automobile fender well for a spare tire, aspare tire cover construction comprising arod mounted on the `automobileand extending substantially parallel with the central plane of a tiresupported in the well,

a member mountedV on said rod and movable Vthereon toward and'from thefender well, two

rel-atively movable arcuate coverY sectionsV each arranged to extendfrom said member about the tire substantially to the fender well, andmeans connecting said member to said cover sections so that the sectionsand member are movable as a-unit. Y

3. In combination with an automobile fender '5 well for a spare tire, aspare tire cover construction comprising two relatively movable arcuatesections formed to extend partially about the outer periphery of a tireand into the mouth of the fender well so as to be freely movable out ofthe Well in substantial parallelism to the median plane of the tire,means adjacent the upper part of the cover construction for supportingsaid sections adjacent the fender well, and means for holding thesections in proper tire protecting position.

4. In combination with an automobile fender well for a spare tire, atire cover construction comprising two arcuate sections arranged to extend parti-ally about a tire and to project into the fender wall andsupported from a point over the top of the well, means for connectingthe adjacent ends of said sections when applied to the tire, andyieldable means mounted at the mouth of the well for engaging thesections to hold the same in proper tire protecting position.

5. In combination with an automobile fender Well for a spare tire, atire cover construction comprising relatively movable tire coversections having arcuate peripheral portions for covering portions of theperiphery of a tire supported in the fender well, a clamp memberconnecting the adjacent ends of said sections and movable toward andfrom the fender well in a plane at subthe fender Well.

stantially right angles to the said adjacent section ends so as to clampsaid sections into, and release said sections from., cooperativerelation to the fender well, and means for guiding said member in saidmovement when the cover is being placed in and removed from cooperativerelation to the fender well.

6. In combination with an automobile fender Well for a spare tire. atire cover construction comprising two relatively movable arcuate tirecover sections extending from. the fender Well partially about the tire,means for connecting the adjacent ends of said sections, and meansindependent of said sections and constructed and arranged so as tosupport the rst means for movement toward the fender well to clamp saidsections and the tire in cooper-ative relation to the fender well andfor movement from the fender well to remove the sections and tire fromthe fender well.

. 2O 7. In combination with an automobile fender well for a spare tire,a tire cover construction comprising a clamp member1 movable toward andfrom the fender well, and tire cover sec-tions extending from saidmember substantially to the fender well and arranged to be actuated bysaid member into and out of cooperative relation with GEORGE ALBERTLYON.

